lesson 9.3 VEHICLE BALANCE AND CONTROL IN CURVES Vehicles of different sizes and shapes handle differently. What makes some vehicles more difficult to control than others?

Define center of gravity. OBJECTIVE

Vehicle Balance Your ability to control your vehicle is affected by its balance. Vehicle balance is the distribution of a vehicle’s weight on its tires as they contact the ground. What happens when a vehicle accelerates, brakes, or turns?

Center of Gravity The point around which an object’s weight is evenly distributed is called its center of gravity. The center of gravity is the balance point. But the weight of a car is not evenly distributed. Does the front end with the engine weigh more than the back end?

Where would the balance point be on each of these two cars?

Stability A vehicle with a center of gravity that is close to the ground is more stable and less likely to roll over than one with a high center of gravity. Which of these three vehicles is less likely to roll?

A vehicle’s stability decreases as its center of gravity rises. How would larger tires or carrying heavy cargo affect a vehicle’s gravity?

Identify the key factors that can affect a vehicle’s balance. OBJECTIVE

Balance and Steering Maneuvers that can shift weight to different areas of the vehicle cause changes to the vehicle’s balance. Imagine three axes crossing at the center of gravity. Your vehicle may rotate around these axes in three ways: pitch roll yaw

Pitch A tilting motion from front to back is called pitch. Where does the weight shift occur when braking? Where does the weight shift when accelerating?

What can happen with hard braking? How can you correct the effect of hard braking?

Roll A vehicle may also tip to the side, or roll. What driving maneuvers could cause a vehicle to roll? What can occur when speed is greater and steering is harder? How can a possible roll be corrected?

Yaw Your vehicle may rotate clockwise or counterclockwise, or yaw. What happens when the rear tires lose traction?

Describe how speed, the sharpness of the curve, vehicle load, and road shape affect control in a curve. OBJECTIVE

Forces in Curves Inertia and traction work on your vehicle as you drive through a curve. Your ability to control your vehicle in a curve is affected by: the sharpness of the curve the speed and weight of your vehicle the shape of the roadway

Sharpness of Curve The sharper the curve, the more traction your tires need to grip the road in order to overcome inertia.

Speed The momentum of your vehicle increases with speed. Would the momentum for this motor home be more or less than an economy car? Why?

Load A heavy load, such as passengers and cargo, changes the center of gravity. How can a driver maintain control when a vehicle is heavily loaded?

Shape of the Road The shape of the roadway affects your ability to control your car. Many roads are level.

Some roads have a crowned surface. What is the benefit of a crowned surface? Why is it more difficult to maintain traction if a curve has a crowned surface?

Some roadways are banked, or tilted so one side is higher than the other. What is the benefit of making a curve banked?

lesson 9.3 review What is a vehicle’s center of gravity? Describe three ways that a vehicle may move around its center of gravity.